DZNE

A loss of smell can be one of the earliest warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease, but the cause of this sensory change have been unclear. Now, a study reveals that the problem may not lie in the nose or olfactory bulb itself, as previously thought.

A research team in Germany has found that even slight changes to regular physical activity, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, can counter the age-related loss of volume in brain regions linked to disease.

Building on a growing body of evidence linking viral infections with neurodegenerative disease, a study has shown how molecules on the surfaces of viruses can promote the aggregation of toxic proteins seen with diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

​As the science of epigenetics begins to explain exactly how our gene activity can be modulated by external environmental factors​, a great debate brews - just how heritable are these epigenetic markers? Are the epigenetic results of stress and a bad diet in your life transferred to your children?